July 18, 2022
At about 8:11 a.m. our 911 dispatchers received a call from a pilot stating he was having issues with his plane and was trying to return to Kay Larkin Airport. The call cut off shortly after the initial call, prompting a search of the area near the airport. Both a helicopter and another airplane searched the area, but could not find the plane in the very wooded terrain. The pilot was able to call 911 again and our communications team were able to ping his phone in the area of Browns Lane in Palatka, close to the airport.
The pilot was located by rescuers who extracted him out of the plane shortly after 9:30 a.m. Using a sheriff's office ATV, Capt. Ussery was able to give the pilot a ride to a rescue unit. As a precaution the pilot was flown to a trauma hospital.
The pilot was the only person in the plane at the time of the crash. FHP is investigating the cause of the crash.